Who were the First People to Settle in Ireland? - December 2017

By Maria O'Farrell Carr

I came across this story of The People of Cessair and thought I would share with you.

According to the Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of Invasions), the first people to settle in Ireland were led by a woman named Cessair. The granddaughter of the biblical character Noah, it is said Cessair, her followers and her father Bith were denied admission to the Ark. Cessair then made an idol that told them to escape the deluge by sailing to Ireland. As it was an unpopulated land, where no sin had been committed, it was thought that Noah's god might spare it from the Great Flood.

Cessair and her followers set out in three boats and after a very long journey, during which two of the boats were lost, they eventually reached Ireland. The surviving boat containing Cessair, her two sisters, Bairrfhind and Alba, forty-seven other women, and three men: Fintan mac Bóchra, Bith and Ladra, made land in Ireland at Dún na mBarc (Donemark) in Co. Cork, forty days before the Flood, in Age of the World 2242. Upon landing, the women were split evenly amongst the three men, with each man taking one as his wife: Fintán takes Cessair, Bith takes Bairrfhind and Ladra takes Alba.

However Ladra, who was wounded during the landing, soon died and became the first person to be buried in Ireland. Not long after, Bith also died and Fintán was left as the only male. Unable to cope with the task of populating the country, he ran away and hid in a cave on Tountinna (Hill of the Wave) in the Arra Mountains, Co. Tipperary. Cessair who was deeply in love with him, died of a broken heart and is said to have been buried at Cairn Ceasra on Knockma Hill in County Galway. Six days after her death, the Great Flood came and the rest of the women perished.

Fintán however, survived the flood by changing into a salmon and lived in the waters of the cave, known as ‘Fintans Grave’ for a year. After this, through a series of transformations as different animals, he lived on for over five thousand years. When he finally returned to human form he had become the repository of all the knowledge and history of Ireland.

An earlier version of the tale, apparently found in the long-lost ‘Book of Druimm Snechta’, says that it was Banba who first came to Ireland with her two sisters, Fódla and Ériu, three men and fifty women. Banba, Fódla and Ériu were a trio of land goddesses and their husbands were the gods, Mac Cuill (son of hazel), Mac Cecht (son of the plough) and Mac Gréine (son of the Sun). It is likely that Cessair, Bairrfhind and Alba are a Christianised replacement for the three goddesses and Fintán, Bith and Ladra, replacements for the three gods.

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Maria's Bio: Maria is a gifted healer, intuitive and medical intuitive from Ireland. She carries a vast wealth of experience from a life of passionate exploration of the profound healing and ancient Irish intuitive gifts she inherited from her mother and going back to her grandmothers, two great uncles who were well known healers of the sick and even as far back as her great, great, great, grandfather (b. 1837) who was known as the Irish Healer of Animals. Her depth of knowledge and wisdom comes from her deep study and relentless research. Maria offers Celtic Intuitive & Angel Card Reading thru Skype or phone to any were in the world. Maria grew up in Ireland and has travelled to over 16 countries and visited 245 cities. She has lived and travelled to Australia, Canada, North and South America, Europe and many places around the world. Maria has lived in the Okanagan, BC, Canada for years. She now lives part-time also back home in Ireland in the Spring and Autumn. Maria is the founder and publisher of 'OK In Health eMagazine' and Web site since 2014. www.OKinHealth.com is a beam of light in the wellness community. Maria was awarded the 2008 SOWINS, Women Up Front and Centre - Health & Wellness Award for her work on OK In Health eMagazine and the community.
Over the years she has also worked as an Event Organizer and brought instructors to the Okanagan from all over the world. Maria was also involved at the grass root level in bringing in Dr Deepak Chopra. Gregg Braden and Dr. Wayne Dyer to the Okanagan valley. Maria has a wealth of experience in travel, as a healer and in events organizing. Maria hosts a weekly Health Column in 5 Okanagan newspapers. In 2013, Maria brought 30 people to Ireland for the 14 day Celtic Angel Ireland Tour and since then brings two tours over to Ireland each year. Maria has published two books on Sacred Ireland and is working on her third book. Maria continues to enjoy studying, travelling, offering sessions, working on OK In Health eMagazine, loving life in the beautiful Okanagan Valley and the Sacred Ireland Tours. - Maria O'Farrell Carr Website - Email

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERThis information and research is intended to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All material in this article is provided for information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this newsletter / e-magazine / website. Readers should consult their doctor and other qualified health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The information and opinions provided in this newsletter / e-magazine/website are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgment available to the authors. Readers who fail to consult with appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries. The publisher is not responsible for any errors or omissions. OK in Health is not responsible for the information in these articles or for any content included in this article which is intended as a guide only and should not be used as a substitute to seeking professional advice from either your doctor or a registered specialist for yourself or anyone else.

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